14 Comments

Their best laid plans for a pipeline across Afghanistan (once the troublesome Taliban were sedated) seem to be on permanent hold. Then there was the Serbian Kosovo pipeline, once those pesky Serbs were bombed into submission. No pipe in sight. Only way a canal will be dug is by nuclear explosions, once proposed for the Nicaragua canal, but these will be haphazard.

Expand full comment
author
Nov 18, 2023·edited Nov 18, 2023Author

An idea for the Ben Gurion canal from the 1950s or 60s. I don't know the terrain there but nevertheless they seem to be planning for it. I had a look to see if Eilat Port was owned by the Chinese or Indians but it seems not, apparently leased (for another few years anyway) by Papo Maritime which is an Israeli company. I couldn't find out anymore yesterday as the Israeli website for companies was down. Also interesting, maybe as there's always a reason, that they've recently moved from hosting that site in English to hosting it in Hebrew.

Expand full comment
author

I get what you mean though, that it could be a distraction.

Expand full comment

One item that is missing from the articles is the defense of assets. The Chinese have the right to defend Chinese state-owned enterprises SOEs and privately owned assets. This means the Chinese can provide security using military contingents in other countries. Today, China is using Wagner to provide security in Africa for convenience, and western and local political concerns over installed Chinese military presence.

@Richard:

Here are a couple of unclass, non-paywall articles describing the situation that you may find interesting:

https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/01/26/china-s-military-diplomacy-and-overseas-security-activities-pub-89687

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/07/27/china-military-naval-bases-plan-infrastructure/

https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/FP_20230207_europe_basing_gresh.pdf

https://www.cfr.org/tracker/china-overseas-ports

https://www.mei.edu/publications/chinas-growing-maritime-presence-egypts-ports-and-suez-canal

https://dialogo-americas.com/articles/chinas-port-investments-threaten-world-sovereignty/

And:

https://ecfr.eu/article/chinas-new-military-base-in-africa-what-it-means-for-europe-and-america/

Expand full comment
author

That's the same justification that the US uses to make war everywhere. And what is not an asset now can become one tomorrow. Blackwater in Iraq for example.

But thanks for the links, I shall have a look.

Expand full comment

The brits and the french were the worst, makes the US look like amateur hour. How did the locals fair when the crown grabbed AU and NZ ?

Expand full comment
author

How did the South Island locals fare when Ngai Tahu (from the Hawkes Bay) grabbed it? (this happened in the late 17th C as far as I can make out, after Abel Tasman's visit).

Or how did the locals fare in England when the Normans grabbed it? Or ditto to William of Orange (knowing that history is bunk this might not actually be a ditto) grabbing the Kingship of England? Also how did all the non Han fare when the Han grabbed most of China?

Expand full comment
Nov 16, 2023Liked by Richard Seager

That's why I say "No matter where you go and given the opportunity, people are all the same".

Expand full comment

Far out Richard! I did not know Haifa port is owned by the Chinese now...and I'm actually from there.

Expand full comment
author

I've just (google) translated the article into Arabic & Hebrew.

Expand full comment

Did you see the piece I wrote on the topic? https://actionabletruth.substack.com/p/israel-hamas-war-money-trail

Expand full comment
author

I have now.

Expand full comment

good article

Expand full comment
author

Thanks. Just google translating it right now into Arabic & Hebrew.

Expand full comment